Atlantic 11 Week 12: George George George

By
Dan Steinberg

(By Toni L. Sandys - TWP)

I don't know why everyone's clamoring for George Mason to get an 8 seed. That's the wrong way to go, right? Isn't it better to slide into that sweet spot of an 11 or 12 and take another real run at the second weekend? Where's the fun in winning one game and then facing a No. 1 seed? I mean, sure, you're theoretically trying to win the national championship or whatever, but surviving til the second weekend is really the thing. So stop winning, Patriots. Play for the 11 seed.

Anyhow, Georgetown is still not unanimous, but is still close, with 38 of 42 first-place votes. And George Mason is close to unanimous in second, with either the Hoyas or Patriots getting 38 of 42 second-place votes.

After that, the big moves were made by Old Dominion (up from No. 7 to No. 4), VCU (down from No. 3 to No. 7) and Virginia (down from No. 9 to No. 11). And no, I wouldn't think most voters would say American is actually better than the Cavaliers, but at some point, you do have to punish a team that loses every game it plays.

Nationally, Georgetown is up to 9th in both polls. Mason is 30th in the AP poll, thanks to some local friends, and 26th in the coaches' poll. VCU actually moved up in the coaches' poll with five votes this week, which makes no sense at all.

Georgetown's official NCAA RPI remains is No. 4, which is strong. Then comes George Mason (23rd), Old Dominion (29th), VCU (60th), Virginia Tech (66th), Richmond (70th), James Madison (80th) and Maryland (89th). Yeah, JMU has a higher RPI than Maryland. So do five other CAA schools. That's cool.

Here are this week's results, followed by overall record, overall points, first-place votes and impeccable wit.

1. Georgetown (20-5) 416 (38)
Next: Wednesday at Connecticut, Saturday at South Florida.
--To fall from the top spot on this list, the Hoyas might have to lose to the Olney Boys and Girls Club. Twice. (Gavin Weiss)

--They say that the reward is not in beating Syracuse, but in being able to leave Syracuse quickly afterwards. Also Dinosaur BBQ. (Max Wasserman)

2. George Mason (21-5) 367 (4)
Next: Tuesday at No. 7 VCU, Saturday at Northern Iowa.
--Smallpox was the last thing to run through the Colonial like 2011 George Mason is doing. (Markus Videnieks)

--If George Mason is this years George Mason can we set it up so they face U-Conn. at the Verizon Center in the second round? Just for old times sake? (Peter Keszler)

--The Patriots are getting so much attention right now that Jim Larranaga is considering making his entrance to the next game inside a giant egg. (Sean McLernon)

--Take on Northern Iowa in the Bracket Busters, or as it will soon be known, the CAA/MVC challenge. (Max Wasserman)

3 Virginia Tech (16-7) 273
Next: Tuesday vs. No. 6 Maryland, Saturday at No. 11 Virginia.
--Seth Greenberg will enter the court for Tech's next game in a clear plastic bubble. It's not a comment on the Hokies yearly struggles to make the tournament, he's just a huge Lady Gaga fan. (Max Wasserman)

--Eight minutes into Sunday's game, with his team trailing by 20, Georgia Tech Coach Paul Hewitt apparently realized he had left his oven on. (John Albers)

--More injury problems than a 65-and-over rugby team. (Sean McLernon)

--Insert joke about VT being on the bubble here. (Peter Keszler)

--How many more weeks will we be allowed to keep submitting "just good enough to be 69th" pith? (Jake Leffler)

5. Richmond (20-6) 228
Next: Thursday at Temple, Sunday vs. St. Bonaventure.
--Quietly reached 20 wins for a third straight season. In order to raise their profile and get more publicity, the Spiders have decided to sue the Washington City Paper. (Jamie Jones)

--The Spiders have now reached 20 wins in three consecutive seasons. Maybe someone should consider making a super-expensive Broadway musical with a confusing name about their success. (Sean McLernon)

--I was watching the 6 pm news on CBS's Richmond affilliate and saw that the anchor's name was Bill Fitzgerald. I have no idea if that is the same Bill that votes here, but it would make me very happy if it was. (Jake Leffler)

--Bubble Eternity: A new fragrance for men from Gary Williams. (Sean McLernon)

--Set to honor Greivis Vasquez on February 20th against N.C. State. The ceremony is set to be followed by an on-court display of just how much the Terps miss his leadership. (John Albers)

--Major NIT seeding implications at play during meeting with the Hokies. (Jamie Jones)

7. VCU (20-7) 214
Next: Tuesday vs. No. 2 George Mason, Friday at Wichita State.
--Rams face Patriots on Tuesday in a rematch of Super Bowl 36. The George Mason staff is currently reviewing video tape of what is totally not an illegally obtained VCU walk-through. (John Albers)

--Making a real push to rival Virginia Tech as "that Virginia team that's constantly on the bubble." (Gavin Weiss)

--The team VCU meets in this year's Bracket Busters is the Wichita State Shockers. The Rams will need to watch out for their tough "2-in-the-paint, 1-in-the-space" zone defense. (Max Wasserman)

--There's no way that makes it to press. (Max Wasserman)

8. James Madison (18-9) 84
Next: Tuesday at Towson, Saturday vs. Miami of Ohio.
--Dukes may have lost the game at Mason, but they avoided encountering Albert Haynesworth on the road, so it their trip to Northern Virginia can be considered a success. (Sean McLernon)

--Following in Rod Strickland's unconventional pre-game hotdog footsteps, JMU's Humpty Hitches will eat up all your crackers and your licorice before he even steps foot on the court. (Markus Videnieks)

--The Dukes have gone 1-3 since starting to check under their beds for Virginia football players every night. (John Albers)

9. Hampton (19-5) 64
Next: Monday at North Carolina A&T, Saturday vs. Bethune-Cookman.
--Already buying every member on the team the Lonely Planet travel guide to Dayton. (Max Wasserman)

--Pirates' senior Brandon Tunnell's only regret is that he never got to play college basketball with his brother, Chesapeake Bay Bridge. (John Albers)

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